This is the moment you guys have been so kindly waiting for! I think this is going to be the last chapter of the story. I may add another to put a better close on the romance side of the story, I don't know. Tell me if you want me to, ok? Give me some ideas.

Until then…on to the chapter!

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Adrian Monk's eyes widened as the name was spoken from the other room. He immediately recognized the name. At that moment he knew who was responsible for the murder of his beloved wife (and child). He wasted no time, the moment he heard the name he turned his head to give Natalie a look saying 'I'm sorry but I have to go'. Natalie nodded with understanding and Monk quickly fled the room. Natalie followed knowing that he would need a ride.

The car ride was short and silent. Natalie knew what must have been going through his head, feelings of sorrow and relief all at the same time. She herself was experiencing mixed emotions as well. She could see the pain in his eyes and knew how hard this must be for him to take in. If there was one thing that she knew about Adrian Monk it was that he loved his wife very much, and to have all of these feeling and memories flooding back into the mind must be very hard for him. She also felt relieved at the same time. Sure it was hard, but Monk had been waiting for this moment for over ten…maybe eleven years! This was a moment well looked forward to. And she was glad that he was finally going to be released from what ever it was that held him captive.

As the car came to a halt, Adrian Monk slowly stepped out of the car. He stopped and stood in front of the familiar building and straitened his slightly off center shoulders. Then he took a deep breath…and slowly walked into the building. This was the moment he had been waiting for. He was now a man on a mission, a mission to track down this piece of slime and see to it that he pays for what he did.

He felt Natalie's presence behind him, being careful to keep her distance for she knew that he needed to be alone while he was doing this. He smiled on the inside at the thought that she would always be there for him and back off when he needed it. He stopped and let her catch up to him. Turning to face her he said, "Natalie, I'm going to need a moment or two alone with him before you come in, ok?"

She reached up and touched his cheek lightly, "I know," she nodded. "I'll wait for you."

He smiled before turning to continue his hasty walk towards the room that held the killer. He however stopped once more when he heard his name being called from behind him. He turned to see Stottlemeyer running up behind him.

"Adrian!" Leland yelled.

Monk faced him. "What?"

"Adrian I know that you're pretty ticked off right now…" The Captain began once he had caught his breath.

"Ticked off? No, that doesn't do it justice, Captain. Furiously struck with rage beyond mortal imagination is more like it!" Adrian said in a harsh whisper.

Stottlemeyer looked at the ground and sighed. "Listen, Adrian. I was in the place you're in once, remember?"

Monk sighed and nodded with eyes on the door separating him from Trudy's killer.

"Adrian, I remember what it felt like. I know what you want to do right now. And I'm telling you…as a friend…that hurting him is not the answer. Now I'm going to let you go in there and talk to him before we come in and hand him this," Stottlemeyer said waving the warrant for the man's arrest lightly in the air, "now is that man going to be alive when we go in there?" he asked.

Monk looked at him…and nodded before glancing at the door again.

Stottlemeyer also looked at the door and gave his friend a firm pat on the shoulder, "Alright…go then."

Monk looked back at Natalie and watched as Randy approached to stand by her. They both gave him a reassuring smile before he returned his gaze to the door and walked towards it. He grabbed the handle, closed his eyes, too a deep breath, and opened it to step inside.

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"Ahh, if it isn't Adrian Monk: Crimes worst nightmare." The man said at the sight of Monk entering the room.

"Dale," Adrian greeted as he walked into the jail cell.

"So tell me Adrian, what did I do this time?" Dale Beiderbeck started, "perhaps I stole some priceless painting out of a world known museum, the Mona Lisa perhaps!" The fat man said as he began to shake with laughter.

Monk merely stared at the man with hate and said nothing.

"Oh come now Adrian, cat got your tongue?"

"Why did you do it?" Monk asked calmly.

"Do what? If you're asking about the Mona Lisa I have no idea who stole your painting. But really, you'll have to be more specific then that. I've done many things Mr. Monk."

"Why did you kill my wife?" Adrian asked, tears threatening to fall.

Beiderbeck's expression changed from mockery to that of shock. "I don't know what you talking about." He said in a much different voice.

"Don't lie to me Dale. Don't you dare lie to me! You've gotten away with this for too long! Now the truth comes out! Why did you kill my family!" Adrian yelled.

Beiderbeck was shocked at the volume this once quiet and timid man was now using with him. It startled him for a moment but he quickly regained his normally cheeky attitude and fired right back. "Family? The last time I checked it was merely your wife that was killed in that horrible accident. Was there another in the car?" Dale played back.

Monk's eyes slowly dropped at the thought. That was it…the tears came rolling down his face.

Adrian's reaction did not go unnoticed by any means. Dale tilted his head upward as if he had finally noticed something. "So there was? A child, perhaps?"

Adrian closed his eyes at the mention of his unborn child. The pain in his face was unmistakable as that of a mourning father. He felt so weak, he felt like falling to the ground right then in there. He grabbed a near-by chair to steady himself.

"She was pregnant" Dale tormented, "…….…and you probably didn't even know."

Adrian stared at the ground in pain.

"tsk tsk tsk Such horrible pain such accidents can cause." The fat man said as he shook his head in fake sympathy.

That was Dale's mistake. Monk steadied himself and literally transformed to from a pathetic waist to a strong man who knew when he was being taken advantage of "That was no accident!" He said with force. "You killed them!"

"But how can you know that, Adrian? You and I both know that you have been known to make rather unsettling accusations."

"My theories may be out of the box but have you ever seen me fail to put a guilty man in jail for what he did?"

The question was one that Dale, regretfully, could not argue. So instead, he changed the subject. "My point is, how can you prove it Monk!"

Monk stared him down, "I just heard a full confession from Mr. Walters…your accomplice."

Dale's eyes widened.

"Captain Stottlemeyer is standing outside this door ready to take you in." Monk finished.

"And exactly where do you plan to take me? As you can see, I am already in a jail cell. Where else can I go?"

"…Death row." Adrian said, with emotion pouring out from his eyes.

Dale simply stared at Adrian as the tears once again began to gather.

"I want an answer Dale…why did you kill them?" Adrian asked as calmly as he could.

Dale responded with a death glare as he tried his best to sit up. "I'm Dale Beiderbeck…I don't need a reason."

"I NEED A REASON!" Adrian shouted as his chin quivered and the tears once again began to fall.

Dale smiled at the pain he had cause and laid back once more. "Well sorry pal…cause you're not getting one."

Monk lunged at him and grasped his satin collar in his fists. "I have to have a reason." He assured, "if I don't…"

"You'll what?" Dale asked. "You'll kill me? By all means, Monk, go ahead. You'll be certain to do the rest of the world a favor by it. Wouldn't mind me much either. You see, I've lived my life; I've done the things I've wanted to do. And besides…it would mean an added bonus to me knowing that in doing so, you would have become that which you hate the most, and committed that which you daily dedicate your life to preventing. So go ahead, Monk. It would do my heart good knowing that in the end, you and I would die equals."

Monk stared at the man he had clenched at the neck. As much as he HATED to admit to it…what Beiderbeck said was the truth. He could hear the voices of Trudy, and Natalie, and Stottlemeyer all telling him to let go, to leave the room with clean hands. He had to…no matter how hard it was for him…it really was his only choice. So reluctantly, he roughly released his hold and Dale's heavy body went falling back onto the comfortable bed beneath him.

"Good man." Dale said as he straitened his collar.

Monk once again glared at him and walked over to open the door.

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Stottlemeyer's, Randy's, and Natalie's attention all quickly landed in the doorway when it slowly started to sway open. Adrian Monk, with a tear stained face, slowly walked out and nodded to his Captain. Stottlemeyer, who in return, motioned for Randy to join him and both policemen entered the room with Dale the Whale.

Natalie approached Adrian slowly so as not to startle him. "Adrian?" she asked, "Are you going to be ok?"

He nodded slowly, "yeah, I think so. It's just that…that was really hard." Tears again began to follow their usual paths down his face.

She couldn't resist it anymore. Natalie closed the distance between the two of them and threw her arms around the man in front of her. Adrian accepted the hug gratefully. He, in turn, wrapped his arms around her and let her comfort him.

She let him cry into her shoulder as long as he needed before saying, "Adrian? I want you to know…that I am very proud of you, ok? You finally did it." She pulled away from him to look into his eyes. "Adrian…I love you…and I'm proud of you…don't you ever forget that." She said as she leaned in and gave him a quick (but meaningful) kiss.

He smiled weakly and returned her gesture.

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Ok I take it back…this was by far the HARDEST chapter I have EVER written in my life. I felt so horrible writing this. Even in fiction, I hate seeing Monk go through pain (most especially if I am the one writing it).

I really wish to know what you thought about this chapter. Did I disappoint you? I feel like I might have. Please tell me what you thought.

--Monker